Rotary Heat Exchanger Device

ABSTRACT

A rotary heat exchanger device is disclosed. In an embodiment the rotary heat exchanger includes a rotary heat exchanger having a rotary heat exchanger axis of rotation, a drive motor having a stator and a rotor including a rotor axis of rotation and a housing into which the rotary heat exchanger is installed and in which the latter rotates, wherein the rotor axis of rotation and the heat exchanger axis of rotation extend coaxially and the rotor is rigidly connected to the rotary heat exchanger.

This patent application is a national phase filing under section 371 ofPCT/DE2015/000537, filed Nov. 11, 2015, which claims the priority ofGerman patent application 20 2014 105 449.9, filed Nov. 12, 2014, eachof which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a rotary heat exchanger device, in particularfor use in a decentralized ventilation system with heat recovery,comprising a rotary heat exchanger and a drive motor.

BACKGROUND

Such a rotary exchanger device is known from DE 20 2009 009 697 U1. Inthis rotary heat exchanger device the drive motor is an external rotormotor, which is arranged adjacent to the outside wall of the rotary heatexchanger and the rotor thereof drives the rotary heat exchangerdirectly by means of a direct form-fit and/or friction coupling to theouter wall.

The coupling between the outer wall of the rotary heat exchanger androtor by means of a form-fit and/or friction coupling requires a highlevel of positional accuracy of the drive motor and rotary heatexchanger in relation to each other, and therefore high assembly costs.There is also a risk that, even at low abrasion, the coupling no longerfunctions reliably.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide an enhanced rotary heatexchanger device, which in particular requires a reduced assembly costand has increased reliability.

In various embodiments of the invention the drive motor is arranged atthe axis of rotation of the rotary heat exchanger and the rotor of thedrive motor is rigidly connected to the rotary heat exchanger.

In various further embodiments of the invention, the axis of rotation ofthe rotor and the axis of rotation of the heat exchanger are coaxial.

In various further embodiments the drive motor is located within therotary heat exchanger and the rotor is directly coupled to an internalsurface of the rotary heat exchanger. Alternatively, the rotor isrigidly connected to an axis of rotation of the rotary heat exchanger,to which the latter is attached.

In the present case, the rotor always means the part of the drive motorthat is rigidly connected to the rotary heat exchanger and rotates thelatter. By contrast, the stator means the part of the drive motor thatis rigidly connected to the housing.

The drive motor is advantageously arranged in such a way that the axisof rotation of the rotary heat exchanger and the axis of rotation of therotor of the drive motor are coaxial and the rotor is rigidly connectedto the rotary heat exchanger and in operation rotates the latter at thedesired rotation speed about the axis of rotation thereof. The drivemotor is designed, preferably by means of suitable control electronicsor software, such that its rotor rotates at the rotation speed desiredfor the rotary heat exchanger. A gearing is preferably not required.

Such a rotary heat exchanger device also in particular involves theadvantage that no coupling means which are liable to wear, such as drivebelts or gear-wheels or other means for producing a form-fit or frictioncoupling between the rotor and the rotary heat exchanger are required.It saves complicated calibration and readjustment of the coupling meansand/or drive motor.

The fact that the drive motor is no longer arranged adjacent to theouter wall of the rotary heat exchanger enables that, for a unchangedsize of a housing of the rotary heat exchanger device, the diameterthereof can be enlarged, which results in a higher heat recovery and alower pressure loss with the same air performance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further details, features, and advantageous extensions of the inventionare obtained from the exemplary embodiments described hereafter andshown in the drawings, as well as from the dependent claims, thedisclosure content of which as well as the disclosure content of claim1, is hereby incorporated into this description.

Shown is in:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a cross section parallel to the axis ofrotation of a first exemplary embodiment,

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a cross section parallel to the axis ofrotation of a second exemplary embodiment and

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a cross section parallel to the axis ofrotation of a third exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The FIGS. 1 to 3 show in each case one exemplary embodiment of a rotaryheat exchanger device 1 having, for example, a cubic housing 2, forexample, made of sheet metal or plastic, an electric drive motor 3 and acylindrical rotary heat exchanger 4. The housing 2 comprises openings(not shown) at the sides for air intake into and air outlet out of therotary heat exchanger 4.

In the exemplary embodiments in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2, the drivemotor 3 is arranged within the rotary heat exchanger 4 in such a waythat the axis of rotation of the rotor 32 of the drive motor 3, i.e.,the motor axis of rotation 31, is coaxial with an axis of rotation ofthe rotary heat exchanger 4, hereafter heat exchanger axis of rotation41.

The rotor 32 is rigidly connected to the rotary heat exchanger 4, forexample, by means of a toothing system or a screw fitting between rotaryheat exchanger 4 and rotor 32.

A stator (not shown) of the drive motor 3 is rigidly connected to a sidewall 21 of the housing 2, for example, by means of a suitable screwconnection.

On the opposite side of the sleeve 5 to the drive motor 3 a ball bearing6 is arranged in said sleeve so as to pivot the rotary heat exchanger 4,said ball bearing being fixed to the housing 2.

In the operation of the rotary heat exchanger device the rotationalspeed of the drive motor 3 and thus that of the rotary heat exchanger 4is given by means of suitable control electronics (not shown) andcontrol software.

The difference between the first and the second exemplary embodiment isthat in the first exemplary embodiment in accordance with FIG. 1 therotor storage mass of the rotary heat exchanger 4 is disposed on apreferably cylindrical sleeve, into which the drive motor 3 is insertedand which is rigidly connected to the rotor 3 2 thereof as describedabove, and in the second exemplary embodiment in accordance with FIG. 2the rotor storage mass of the rotary heat exchanger 4 is disposeddirectly on a carrier which is part of the rotor 3 2 of the drive motor3.

The third exemplary embodiment in accordance with Figure 3 differs fromthe above two exemplary embodiments by the fact that the drive motor 3is disposed outside of the housing 2 and the rotor 32 thereof isconnected to the rotary heat exchanger 4 through the side wall 21 of thehousing 4 via suitable connection means.

The documents: Lautner “Functional Description”

-   (http://www.lautner.eu/rotorsysteme/waermerueckgewinnung-mit-rotorsystemen/funktionsprinzip.html);    Lautner “Technical Description”-   (http://www.lautner.eu/rotorSysteme/waermerueckgewinnung-mit-rotorsystemen/technische-beschreibung.html);    Lautner “Rotor Construction”-   (http://www.lautner.eu/rotorsysteme/geraetebeschreibungen/rotorbauart.html);    and Lautner “Unit Specifications”-   (http://www.lautner.eu/rotorsysteme/geraetebeschreibungen/rotortypen.htme    are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. These    documents describe rotor storage masses or rotary heat exchangers in    principle and their operating principle. In all exemplary    embodiments, the drive motor can be embodied as an external rotor    motor or internal rotor motor.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described andillustrated, but comprises all embodiments that are designed and actwithin the meaning of the invention. In addition the invention is notyet limited to the feature combination defined in claim 1, but can alsobe defined by any other desired combination of selected features of allindividual features disclosed together.

1-5. (canceled)
 6. A rotary heat exchanger device comprising: a rotaryheat exchanger having a rotary heat exchanger rotational axis; a drivemotor having a stator and a rotor with a rotor rotational axis; and ahousing, into which the rotary heat exchanger is installed and in whichthe rotary heat exchanger rotates, wherein the rotor rotational axis andthe heat exchanger rotational axis extend coaxially, and wherein therotor is rigidly connected to the rotary heat exchanger.
 7. The rotaryheat exchanger device according to claim 6, wherein the drive motor isarranged at least partially inside the rotary heat exchanger.
 8. Therotary heat exchanger device according to claim 7, wherein the stator isrigidly connected to the housing and the rotor is rigidly connected tothe rotary heat exchanger.
 9. The rotary heat exchanger device accordingto claim 7, wherein the drive motor is arranged at least partially in asupport sleeve of the rotary heat exchanger.
 10. The rotary heatexchanger device according to claim 9, wherein the rotor is rigidlyconnected to the support sleeve.
 11. The rotary heat exchanger deviceaccording to claim 7, wherein a rotor storage mass of the rotary heatexchanger is arranged directly on a support sleeve of the rotor of thedrive motor.
 12. The rotary heat exchanger device according to claim 6,wherein the drive motor is arranged outside of the housing.
 13. Therotary heat exchanger device according to claim 12, wherein the rotor isconnected to the rotary heat exchanger through a side wall of thehousing.
 14. The rotary heat exchanger device according to claim 13,wherein the rotor is connected to the rotary heat exchanger viaconnection means.
 15. A method for using a rotary heat exchanger device,the method comprising: locating, the rotary heat exchanger deviceaccording to claim 6, in a decentralized room ventilation system withheat recovery.